Artists Statement

INTERFACING SOUND

Soundings is an electro-acoustic installation which replaces the traditional muzak of elevators with samples from the port cities, sea, and vessel. The environment, ship and radio frequency spectrum will be interfaced through low- and high-tech means.
Steve Bradley and Timothy Nohe will present an electro-acoustic audio installation in the Silja Opera ferry elevators. The work will directly utilize the ISEA 2004 conference ferry and the forces of the environment. Content will be gathered during the transit between Helsinki and Tallinn, reshaped through performance gestures, and embedded in the ferry lift system.
The ferry will be considered as an instrument to be sensed, sampled, and performed. The environment of the Baltic Sea and port cities will be captured, with emphasis given to the potential of: fauna, air/sea luminosity, hydrophonic and acoustic sound signatures, as well as the electromagnetic spectrum in the extremely low frequency range (aurora borealis, lightning, etc.) and radio frequency range (radio, television, satellite, etc.). This range of sources will be interfaced and sampled to produce a matrix of sound. The source recordings will be manipulated, mastered and played back as the conference progresses.
Bradley and Nohe, employing high and low technological means, have designed a range of instruments and interfaces from hydrophones to solar powered instruments.

• Steve Bradley (US) is an artist/educator whose work engages time-based media, sound performance/installation, and material culture.
• Timothy Nohe (US) is an artist and educator engaging traditional and electronic media in public life and public places.      userpages.umbc.edu/~nohe/GAG

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